The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-08-10
boy an showed out the school off'cers9"

Same one.
"She's got dog, too"
"Yes-big yeller an white cuss."
'T seen him killin' cats down at
Butf'lo one day. He had 'em stacked up
there like hay"
eyes, I heered bout it. What dye
think yell do bout the widder, Phil2'
"W'y-w'y-ye see, Jedge, reckon
the widder'll have t go. l don't take
none too much stock in these women no.
how, an my 'srerience has been that wild
ders air the wuss kind. | aint been out
t my place fer two or three weeks
reckon I'll mosey out in the mornin' an
see how the land lays"
Then this man, whose earliest recollec-
tions was of looking down into the dark
waters of Bitter Creek and up at the pre-.
cipitous sides of Roaring Ridge, walked
away with troubled vision of black-eycd
widows and spotted, cat-killing dogs.
The next day Burton went out to his
place, but somehow he didn't get any
farther. Away down on the other corner
he could see small board shanty. He
rightly conjectured that it was the
widows house. But he thought it would
do Just as well to go down after day or
two. He would thiuk about it for
awhile.
The widow Baxter was lady of rather
uncertain age though by no means old.
She had come out from Indiana a year be-
fore and in that space of time had
worked up a reputation for being excep-
tionally able to take care of herself.
After few days Mr.. Barton, late of
Bitter Creek, determined to 60 down
and see if he could not induce the widow
to move. He had serious doubts as
to the success of his mission, but
it had to be done; so he started
out. Before leaving he carefully washed
his face and hands in the kettle in
which he usually boiled his potatoes--his
possessions not including anything nearer
to a washbowl-brushed his clothes with
the horse-brush and put on clean shirt,
all of which was rather remarkable when
we consider his before named nativity.
He walked down across the quarter-scc-
tion rather slowly, but arrived near the
Objectionable shack at last. As he did
so, to his horror he saw the white and
yellow dog sitting in front of the door
with his fore legs spread very far apart
and nervous, uneasy dropping of the
lower lip. As he went past the widows
COW, which was picketed near the house,
she hooked at him. He ran a few yards
to avoid her and when he looked at the
dog he thought he detected smile play
ing around the mouth of that intelligent
animal, while calf near by uttered low
''bar-r-r!" and pig squealed, a rooster
flew up on the edge of the pen and
crowed while the hen cackled. Evident
ly the widows whole family was against
him-they all seemed to be applauding
the action of the cow-to which animal
must certainly be awarded first blood
6guratively speaking.
He pretended not to notice these
taunts of the live stock and, walking up
to the door, reached out to knock. But
he didn't know that the dog had made
a rule against it. But he had-and
enforced it personally.
The dog didn't say anything but made
q vicious and unwelcome spring at his
throat. Our friend withdrew his throat
from the immediate scene of hostilities.
But the dog followed. He tried backing
up and kicking at the brute-part of the
time with both feet-but he never hit
him and once the dog bit through the
toe of his boot. So he concluded to run.
There wasn't good prospect across the
prairie with his own house the only one
in sight, so he started around the widows.
1t was ten feet by twelve in size, and as
he ran very close to it it necessitated
some very short turns. He went around
three or four times and the dog followed.
He gained on the animal little on the
turns b: lost along the sides. Occasion
ally the white e-and-yellow cur took bite
at his legs and once he leaped up on his
back and knocked off his hat.
About this time Mr.. Barton executed
wild leap and scrambled up on the low,
tar paper covered roof of the shack. The
dog didn't seem to be able to follow
though he acted as if he was going to be
very good on the watch. But that was
an improvement. And though he was
still sub ;ect to the taunts and jeers of the
live stock and domestic TO Wis, he never
theless felt much relieved. But the feel
was short-lived. The door opened and
the widow herself came out She wasn't
very large but her eyes were blacker than
ever. And she had shotgun in her
hands.
"What ye doin' up'n the roof O. my
house2" she demanded with feaaful en-
phasis.
'Mis' Baxter" said the brave Mr.. Bar
ton, who had removed scores of objec-
tionable men from his claim and had
come down to see that the widow also
went, "Mis' Baxter, come over t see
how ye were gittin' long an if there was
any 'sistance I could render ye. Haint
We got no chain fer that dog'"
''Shut up bout that dog! Ye didn't
come fer no such thing-ye come to try
to make me git off'n this placer'
eye hain't goin' though, be ye?" he in
quired anxiously, and at the same time
automatically and guardedly.
'No, sir, hain't!
81 knowed ye wasn't knowed it all
the time! Say, what ye goin' t. do bout
that dog"
:'Shut up Isay! Now ye ever goin'
to mosey round here bout this claim
'gin?"
mo marm.'
eff I let ye down air ye goin' to make
tracks up cross the quarter to yer own
ranch?'
eyes marm."
"Tige, come here! Now Mr.. Barker,
YOU slide down off'n that roof an don't